How the Bears are handling Caleb Williams' transition to the NFL

Even before he was officially selected with the first overall pick, the Bears had Caleb Williams ready to roll.

May 10, 2024; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws the ball during / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears selected Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, starting a new era at the quarterback position. They wasted no time naming him the starting quarterback, and they wasted even less time getting him ready to transition to the professional level.

How did the Bears get a head start on Williams' transition to the NFL? They used his pre-draft Zoom virtual visits to begin installing the playbook. Teams are allowed to have three one-hour Zoom meetings with prospects pre-draft, so once the Bears knew they were going to take Williams, there was no need to use those meetings to assess him as a player.

According to SI's Albert Breer, the Bears got Williams ready to roll for rookie minicamp well before he was selected first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft:

"During the first one, the Bears taught Williams the terminology, giving him a foundation on what to call formations and motions within new OC Shane Waldron’s scheme. During the second, they started installing their base, normal-down plays. During the third, they put in red zone and third-down plays."

- SI's Albert Breer

This allowed for Williams to hit the ground running when he got to rookie minicamp. The Bears are high on their Heisman-winning first overall pick, and now we wait and see how the new era of Chicago football pans out with Williams under center.